The iconic game show is undergoing an evolution.

I was the kid who loved game shows that encouraged me to actually think. For me those shows were more interesting and captivating than any sports event. If you want to learn vocabulary, Password was your show. If you like learning things, or had a background in trivia, Jeopardy! was your show. It did not hurt that both shows taught a lot about language and culture, too.

I have been a fan of Jeopardy! since Art Fleming was at the podium. That was way back in 1964. Whew!

When Alex Trebek helmed the return of the show in 1984 little did we know how the game, and the show, would evolve.

For many years, Jeopardy! was the daily to go for families who spent time together watching (and playing) the game. Alex was the familiar face of the guide to the game. Sadly, when he passed away the game not only needed a new host, it needed a bit of a boost.

There are several new tournaments as part of the refresh to our old favorite. The latest is Jeopardy Masters. I have to admit I enjoy watching all of these incredibly talented players do their thing and watching Masters has been the equivalent to the Super Bowl.

Now I’ve known about Jeopardy.com for a while now and find the site a great collection of information. You can catch up on the latest news, find out about today’s players, do the Anytime Test, check out merchandise, and dive into two podcasts about the show. Yes, two!

It is the result of listening to the Inside Jeopardy! podcast that has brought me to this post. One of the topics of discussion has been the evolution of the game to what might be considered a sport status. WTF?!

Jeopardy! as a … sport?

High level competition. Earnings potential.

I get it. I think. If you are interested in learning more, check out the podcast and see what you think. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the show, check out Buzzy Cohen’s This is Jeopardy! podcast. Both are available on the site.

I enjoy settling down every evening to see who is playing and play along. The daily games are often quite captivating and I can usually manage not to totally embarrass myself. Too much. LOL! When the championships come along I enjoy watching my favorite players return to compete. I never walk away from a game where I did not learn something new. To me that is the greatest gift of these shows.

Classic Game Shows

• Jeopardy!
• Password
• Match Game
• To Tell The Truth
• What’s My Line?
• Concentration
• Let’s Make A Deal
• Wheel of Fortune

Mr. Carrington recently visited the Chelsea Flower Show and brought us along for the ride.

I have to give credit to Mr. C for reigniting my interest in plants. Thanks to him sharing is roof garden with his viewers, I found myself captivated by the possibilities and potential of my own deck area.

Not everyone is born with a green thumb. I have a friend who seems to have 10 of them (even though I’d bet she would deny it). Her gardens are always beautiful and well cared for. Me? I do well to keep plants alive and I have no interest in digging up my yard. I have often had planters filled and kept them content, but other than that…

The Chelsea Flower Show is an iconic item on many gardeners To Do Lists. I’ve seen a few professional gardeners visit the show and bring us along. Somehow, though, I never really experienced it as I did when Mr. C took us along. Perhaps it is because he focused on those exhibits that he found more interesting.

What I can tell you is that even if you are not a gardener, but enjoy a bit of plant therapy, it is worth checking out – even if you only do so via video.

Recently I came across a couple of comments from content creators that got me to thinking. On the surface, each came from the place where most folks spend their time, but when you pull back the curtain…

Number 1: The Idea of ‘Modern’

As in what is considered modern today. This creator was giving ideas on how to update your home to avoid it looking dated. The thought that occurred to me was that ‘modern’ is relative. What I mean is that when you do a bit of a history trawl, as in look back over the years, you will find the idea of ‘modern’ applies to each and every year going back millennia.

Yep, those dated cabinets, carpets, drapery, furniture styles, clothing, you name it, was considered modern in the day they were produced. Every. Single. One. This was brought into focus and emphasized recently when I saw a walk through of a home built in the early 1900s and then saw a video walk through of homes in Pompeii and Rome. The same ostentatious design elements from two very different time periods that included color, art, size, and number of rooms.

Yep, think about it. Few folks actually go out of their way to create homes that would be considered out of date (as in appliances that would not be usable today) but they choose to create homes using design aesthetics of a different era. The rest look at the newest appliances, fabric, cabinet design, etc. to create homes that by most standards would be considered modern. Fast forward 10 to 20 years and those homes will be out of date.

Number 2: The Idea of ‘Perfect’

It has been said that perfection is in the eye of the beholder, but I think that many times we let the idea of perfection get in the way of many things.

Recently one of my favorite creators took us through his kitchen. This is a rental flat with the usual rental expectations when it comes to cabinetry, appliances, and pretty much everything else that comes with the flat. In other words, it isn’t ‘high end’. He said that he had put off taking us on the tour because of chipped countertops, well worn floors, etc.

Here’s the thing; no home that is lived in is always perfect. There will always be opportunities with well used spaces in addition to the realities of living in a space. Toss in kids and or pets and perfection tends to fly out the window no matter how hard we work to corral and control the realities of life.

Personally, I subscribe to the theory that my home should reflect me, not the latest trend on the Internet or the opinion of people who don’t live in it, pay for it, or take care of it. That means that the floors might need a sweep now and then, the cabinets could use a good cleaning and coat of paint, and, because I live with a fur baby, there will be fur not on the animal. I can’t really complain about her fur as mine tends to compete taking up space not on my head.

Number 3: The Idea of ‘New’

I think we tend to forget that nothing is really ‘new’ and everything has been done before, even if it might have been done differently. Sort of. It comes down to the idea of discovery. For many folks these ideas are new to them, so they are inclined to interpret them as new to everyone else.

Food for thought, eh?

Eventually. Maybe. Of course I Can!

Today I’m sharing two videos from different DIYrs who have approached vastly different projects and exceeded all expectations. Even their own.

Both of these people have spent years learning the skills necessary to tackle the projects and while it could be argued that the end result was a no-brainer by some, for many even the idea to consider doing these things is intimidating.

First, let’s take a look at DIY Danie’s former closet in her second bedroom. I’m putting up the last video in a 3 part series but she does show you the before and after and there are links in the description box on how to find the other videos.

The end result is amazing! And after all these years of watching her create amazing furniture, renovate rooms in her home, and take on building a greenhouse for her garden, I am still amazed and inspired that she chose to tackle a project that was just a bit (a teeny tiny bit) out of her comfort zone. Fabulous job!

Next let’s look at Katie Scott as she refinished a family heirloom. You have to admit that when you are a professional furniture flipper who has taken on hundreds of projects and teaches the process, when a member of your family comes to you and asks you to work on a beloved heirloom, not only is this an honor but not a small bit terrifying. Check it out:

The end result is beautiful. The amount of work that went into it is amazing. The trust and support from family that she could accomplish the project without damaging anything is empowering.

My point is that if you are willing to learn, there is nothing you can not do. When you look around your home and see things you would like to update or upgrade, having the skills to do the job is powerful. Having access to the tools is powerful. Having the courage to take the first step to learn is incredibly powerful.

If you are a beginner don’t be afraid to tackle flat pack furniture or small painting projects. Start to accumulate the things you will need for basic maintenance, and check out your local hardware stores and schools for classes to learn. Don’t overlook simply going to the store and asking questions.

You really can create the home you want. Don’t be afraid to get a bit dirty!

Okay, I admit it, I was curious. And the tool was there, so why not use it?

Every once in a while I get curious about something (one thing leads to another, right?) and I figure out a way to answer some questions or at least attempt to answer some questions.

In fact, as I think about it, I’m really not sure when this perhaps not-so-grand experiment began, I just know that it continues because, well, I like what I’ve discovered.

I’m not sure, but I think it started because I needed a way to keep on time for folks in different time zones. Then, because weather often affects all sorts of things, it evolved into keeping up with the weather.

I should say that I use my weather app on my phone or iPod to keep track not only of the weather but the time in several different places around the globe. The weather app not only tracks the weather, but it keeps the local time, so you don’t have to switch between that and the clock feature. I also set it for farenheit so it makes sense for my brain, but I do know how to convert should there be a need.

What I’ve discovered is that many areas around the globe have similar weather patterns. I’ve also discovered that some places are warmer than I expected them to be while others are much colder than I thought they would be.

While I understand that most folks wouldn’t bother doing this, I think that it could be an interesting curiosity for anyone who might be inclined. What is it like in [ fill in the blank ] right now as opposed to where I am?

What I found is a connection between what I ‘thought I knew or understood’ about a place and what is actually going on there.

One friend alerted me to change the location for their particular home because temperatures were more accurate when based on a local airport rather than the town she lived in. Interesting. And when I did that and compared the two, I was surprised to discover a bit of a difference. Hmm.

So, for me this adventure was more than keeping track of time zones for communication connections but also learning more about local conditions.

Oh, and it also made for interesting conversation starters. “I see you’ve got a huge rain storm in your area.”

Give it a try. It could be quite interesting.

Seeing how the holidays are celebrated in other countries.

I grew up in the middle of Middle America. While many of our friends and neighbors came from other parts of the country, they brought their ‘old country’ traditions with them when they moved nearby. The same way my family did when they moved into the area. Those ‘old country’ traditions became the ‘old family traditions’ that were carried forward every year but somehow without the connections to the old country as they had with older generations.

Like the old story about the young woman who wanted to make Grandma’s Perfect Roast but had difficulty finding all the right ingredients and that all important pan. For years it was stressed that the pan was extremely important. After several frustrating searches, the young lady finally called Grandma and asked about the recipe. Turned out the pan wasn’t all that important after all; it was simply what Grandma had on hand way back when she first made the recipe and it was what she used every time she made it. It was the right size for the roast.

There is something magical about visiting other countries and seeing how they do, or don’t, celebrate. Don’t get me wrong, ‘visiting’ doesn’t necessarily mean travel, you can visit from your armchair in the comfort of your home, too. But taking the time to see the decorations, listen to the music, watch the processions, experience the food and drink (and here you could get really creative and try some recipes), all of this takes you out of the same old, same old that we often find ourselves experiencing in the midst of the Holiday Hoopla.

Thinking about food, it is interesting to discover where some of our favorite foods came from. They might be passed down in the family, but the origins could be quite surprising.

There’s nothing wrong with doing the same things every year, but if you want to take it up a notch or simply renew your joy of the season, it might be worth the effort to check out what other folks are doing.

FWIW, I still find it a bit … odd … that in Australia Christmas is in Summer. I know I’m not the only one, too. But I’d bet the Australians find it a bit odd that other folks celebrate during Winter. Come to think on it a bit, I grew up where it snowed and was cold during the holidays. Years later I moved to the West Coast. It was decidedly weird to have Thanksgiving Turkey and Christmas Roast when the weather was in the 70s.

Like so many things, it really is just what you are used to. 🙂

Happy Holidays!